Pina Colada Smoothie

by lydia on February 12, 2013

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‘If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain. If you’re not into yoga, if you have half a brain………’. Yep, I can hear Jimmy Buffet singing this song whenever I drink this yummy concoction! (P.S – I know he didn’t originally sing or write the song, but it’s him singing it that I remember the most).

I don’t know about you, but I am so done with winter. Come on spring and summer! That’s why I’ve been craving refreshing enzyme rich smoothies that make me feel like I’m lying on white sand near an aqua blue water’s edge. Truthfully, I’ve been looking for a simple way to get a lot of nutrition in an easy fashion. Thus, my Pina Colado smoothie was born. I am actually not a big fruit eater, even though I do love it. I namely only eat it in the summer months. Since I am able to get frozen pineapple bits for a decent price, I find it a good way to get in some fruit during these dull winter months.

Pineapples are known for their bromelain content, a digestive enzyme. Bromelain may also have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body (something we could all use some help with). Pineapple contains some vitamin A, C, potassium, calcium, manganese and selenium. 1 cup of pineapple will supple the body’s minimum needs of manganese daily, at about 2.5 mg. 1 cup of pineapple, which is what I use in the recipe, is about 17 grams of carbs for those who are watching their carb intake and blood sugar. I pair it with good fat and protein powder as well to make this a nicely balanced meal replacement or an after work out snack.

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until well blended.

Alternatively, you can add melted coconut oil last -just pour in a slow steady stream while blender is running. This will help to prevent it from clumping.

Since pineapple is plenty sweet, no sugar is needed. However, if you are using 2 scoops of the Goat Milk protein powder it can take a bit of adjusting to that taste. If needed, and blood sugar issues are not a problem, add a touch of raw honey to soften the intense flavor of the goat protein.

Chlorophyll & Chlorella

I am trying to regularly include one of these two items into my diet for many reasons. Number one, I test well for both. Kinesiology tests show my body really wants chlorophyll. One reason it’s critical for me right now is because I have illeocecal valve pain (something I’ll post on later). Chlorophyll is a great source of vitamin K, a digestive disinfectant, and useful to heal the gut. It helps to neutralize toxins of putrefaction as well. It’s high in fat soluble vitamins, a rich source of emulisifed vitamin A, E and K and phytochemically bound nutrients. I use Chlorocaps by Biotics Research, 4 per day (take 1-3 per meal).

Chlorella on the other hand, is considered brain food. Chlorella provides a wide array of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, as well as being the highest-known source of chlorophyll. While these are all beneficial, the greatest value of chlorella lies in a fascinating ingredient called Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF). This is a powerful natural immune enhancer, rich in DNA and RNA along with amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Up to 15% of chlorella is pure RNA and DNA, so it has an incredibly high percentage of immune enhancing sugars that contribute to it’s astounding health benefits.

CGF is a nucleotide-peptide complex derived from a hot water extract of chlorella. It is made mostly of nucleic acid derivatives. Researchers have discovered that CGF is produced during the intense photosynthesis that enables chlorella to grow so fast. Each cell multiplies into four new cells about every 20 hours, and CGF promotes this rapid rate of reproduction. Experiments with microorganisms, animals and children have shown that CGF promotes faster than normal growth without adverse side effects, and in adults, it appears to enhance RNA/DNA functions responsible for production of proteins, enzymes and energy at the cellular level, stimulating tissue repair and protecting cells against some toxic substances. Also, chlorophyll gives up its magnesium to be converted to blood hemoglobin by adding an iron molecule. Thus chlorella is effective against anemia and stimulates the productions of red blood cells in the body.

Chlorella stimulates the activity of T-cells and macrophages by increasing interferon levels thus enhancing the immune system’s ability to combat foreign invaders whether they are bacteria, viruses, chemicals or foreign proteins. This is a great detoxification and immune support. Additionally, chlorella growth factor causes lactobacillus to grow 4 times its normal rate, accelerates the growth of damaged tissue, and is good for constipation. It’s also a powerful detoxification aid for heavy metals and other pesticides. It aids in the breakdown and removal of persistent hydrocarbon and metallic toxins such as DDT, PCB, mercury, cadmium and lead. (source: Biotics Research, Clinical Reference Guide) Caution: Do not use in high doses if you have kidney or liver problems, support both kidney and liver detox pathways first. Not everyone is ready physiologically to jump into detox with products like these, please assess your own ability to detox or consult with a practitioner.

I use either Biotics Research Chlorella Caps or Frontier Chlorella Powder. (All Biotics products are manufactured in a gluten free facility).

The goat’s raised to produce the milk for both of these products are free range allowing them to enjoy life the way nature intended. The food supply offered to each goat is free of pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones and antibiotics. Their goats have a laid back lifestyle and the incredible nutritional quality of their milk is captured in their gentle and unique production methods and transferred into the products they produce. The Whey powder also has over 25 valuable trace elements. The protein powder uses production methods used with our product is the Refractance Window Drying machine, a drying method that uses conduction, convection and infra-red which applies minimal and variable heat sources to gently dry the product and preserve the original integrity that keeps it as close to nature as possible.

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